Mar

29th

good life by tully reynolds

Part of cultivating a good life is appreciating the little things. This year my husband Chris and I will celebrate ten years of marriage. Ten years! I can’t believe how fast that time has flown. From the very beginning, we have shared an appreciation of the little things. Things that happen in life that may […]

Mar

22nd

good life by amy baird

Part of cultivating a good life is preserving the relationship with a difficult child. As parents we have the responsibility to set guidelines, principles, and rules by which we expect our children to live. At a very young age, we need to let our children know what is expected from them while living in our […]

Mar

15th

good life by donna meuli

Part of cultivating a good life is…learning to find the magic in your everyday. We all have adverse situations in our lives from time to time. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those who deals with them easily. In the last few years, our family has been learning to adjust our lives after the diagnosis of Autism […]

Mar

8th

good life by julie gagen

Part of cultivating a good life is finding your light. My father used to say, “Whatever you do, no matter how hard it is, do it with a smile.” My sister left her son, Cal, with me on a Saturday night while we were out getting pizza. It was October 2013. Just a week prior, […]

Mar

1st

good life by brooke petermann

Part of cultivating a good life is using my time wisely. I am deep into my third round of completing a 101 goals in 1001 days challenge. The way this project works for me is in offering pre-planned projects to work on when I have available time. I use it as a resource list for […]

Feb

22nd

good life by allison whittle

Part of cultivating a good life is laughing… always laughing. When I was growing up, I realized young that my parents had a gift. I was amazed by it. I watched and studied their words and actions; I wanted that gift. They could make people laugh. I remember at one of their many parties repeatedly […]

Feb

15th

good life by rhonda steed

Part of cultivating a good life is looking for the joy in every situation. About a year ago I found myself constantly noticing what my son, Eli, did wrong instead of what he did right. He was constantly into things (like spraying the hose in the garage to wash the van, trying to back the […]

Feb

8th

good life by karla rauch

Part of cultivating a good life for me has been becoming an activist! Four and a half years ago, if someone were to tell me I was to stand in front of a crowd of strangers consisting of parents, teachers, nurses, physicians, CEOs, and politicians sharing my family’s story, I would have fainted from a […]

Feb

1st

good life by holly connors

Part of cultivating a good life is making time to set goals and work towards achieving them. Goals can be big or small, easy or feel near impossible; however, it is so important to make time to consider what we really want and what is most important to us individually and as a couple or […]

Jan

25th

good life by lindsay ross

Part of cultivating a good life is choosing compassion over judgment. My brother is an alcoholic/addict. During his decades-long struggle with drugs and alcohol, our family tried everything to help him. Compassion, love, anger, pleading, support, guilt, force, tough love. You name it, we tried it. And for the record, that whole tough love thing was NOT easy for […]

Jan

18th

good life by peri musser

Part of cultivating a good life is practicing unity. I first began to contemplate this idea when I was randomly put with a new roommate. We also worked together on a full-time humanitarian mission. That is a lot of time to spend with someone you don’t know but need to. So how do we find […]

Jan

11th

good life by tina johnson

Part of cultivating a good life is getting outside. There is something about getting fresh air and seeing the beauty around us that does the body, mind, and soul some good. Wherever we live, there is beauty around us. I love the variety the earth gives us, from the desert to the mountains to the ocean. An added […]

Jan

4th

good life – intentional memories

Part of cultivating a good life is being intentional about creating memories. I wrote about being intentional in last week’s Good Life post and I’m using that word again today. To move forward with real intent and purpose is what many of us have on our minds and in our hearts right now as we […]

Dec

28th

good life – reflections

Part of cultivating a good life is being regularly and intentionally reflective. As we draw the curtains on this year of 2014, a lot of us find ourselves reflecting on the past year. We might have a full range of emotions – from regret and hurt to resolve and hope. I personally find the actual […]

Dec

21st

good life by lydia petersen

Part of cultivating a good life is doing the things we used to do. I love to cook, but you wouldn’t know it from my freezer that looks like an aisle at Costco. It used to be lined with food-saver bags of soups, sauces, and the start to a lot of home-cooked meals to come. […]

Dec

17th

william joseph

Some of you are already familiar with the brilliance of William Joseph. While we never knew each other personally (until this year), I’ve been a fan of his music for years. I actually knew of his family before his career exploded because we happen to live in the same town. In case you are new to […]

Dec

14th

good life by jessica turner

Part of cultivating a good life is shining our lights to the world. Each day we are bombarded by negative news – stories about violence, disaster, and situations that seem hopeless. But goodness is everywhere, too, and it starts within each one of us. I believe that each of us is born with a […]

Dec

7th

good life by jason wright

Part of cultivating a good life is celebrating Christmas every single day of the year. Sound impossible? For most of my life, I certainly thought so. Then, late one evening in October of 2004, I sat beside my wife in our quiet living room and pitched an idea. I explained that I was the […]

Nov

30th

good life by candice stringham

Part of cultivating a good life is nurturing family relationships through creating and keeping traditions. It’s hard for me to even think of a way to explain how much of an influence growing up with strong family traditions has had on me. My parents worked hard to build and create beautiful family traditions that brought us together as […]

Nov

25th

nick’s epic battle

Part of cultivating a good life is making every moment count – like, really count. If you don’t know Nick, you should. And his mom Tracy. And his dog Spot. Okay, Nick’s whole family is just awesome. I feel like I have so much to say and yet, I hardly know where to begin. I […]

Nov

23rd

good life by andrew allgaier

Part of cultivating a good life is embracing failure. Life is full of twists and turns. Ups and downs. We usually express these with words like success and failure. Or perhaps we say things like, “Good luck” and “Bad luck.” However you express them, no one can escape life’s curve balls. But all too often we […]

Nov

16th

good life by trina frandsen

Part of cultivating a good life is choosing to be happy. I remember the first time this phrase actually touched me. It kind of made me mad. It was the first time I realized that it might be true, and that meant I had some perspective changing to do. Being happy was 100% up […]

Nov

9th

good life by steven allgaier

Part of cultivating a good life is keeping your goals and priorities in focus. There is a word that you may not know unless you are an optometrist or a linguist. Emmetropia. It’s one of my favorite words because of what it represents. Emmetros (well-proportioned) + Opia (having to do with sight). It describes […]

Nov

2nd

good life by christy bullock

Part of cultivating a good life is learning how to forgive. As a young girl, I was put in a situation that would change my life forever in so many ways. Not only was my innocence taken away, so was my ability to trust and forgive, or at least I thought it was…for over […]

Oct

26th

good life by wendy howe

Part of cultivating a good life is being able to recognize how service equals happiness – whether giving service or being the recipient. We all experience hardship in our lives. Whether it be a physical, financial, or emotional loss, we know how it feels. I was blessed to grow up in a home where […]

Oct

19th

good life by susan allen

Part of cultivating a good life is taking the time to get to know other people who might seem different than you. I started to appreciate this lesson 21 years ago when I was 19. I had the opportunity to move to Japan for six months where I would be working as a dancer/entertainer at […]

Oct

12th

good life – by jen lake

Part of cultivating a good life is taking care of yourself. As a young woman working full time, attending graduate school, and serving several philanthropies, I found it hard to make time for myself and my needs. Instead, my priority list was arranged with my physical and emotional health at the bottom. That is, […]

Oct

5th

good life – by lara casey

Part of cultivating a good life is… surrendering. It seems so contrary to what we are often told about creating a life of meaning. Well-meaning, wise friends encourage us to work hard and keep moving. But what if the most rewarding “work” was something unexpected. What if letting go was the key to cultivating […]

Sep

28th

good life – by erin mcrae

Part of cultivating a good life is learning to love the unlovable. That seems like such a harsh statement. How can someone be unlovable? I am a high school teacher, soccer coach, and a youth Sunday school teacher. In my various arenas, I am fortunate to associate with some of the most remarkable youth on the […]

Sep

21st

good life – by makenzie moore

Part of cultivating a good life is knowing that there are so many sweet moments in life despite the trials we face. I am 15 years old. I have a fabulous family including my parents and two brothers. We love goofing off together and just talking. In my short 15 years of life, I […]

Sep

14th

good life – by andrea williams

Part of cultivating a good life is recognizing the power of gratitude. It was May 22, 2008. My husband Travis was experiencing some facial numbness so he had an MRI. The scan revealed a brain stem tumor. Today was actually the four-year anniversary of our twin daughter, Ella’s, diagnosis with Leukemia. We had been […]

Sep

7th

good life – by jenny solar

Part of cultivating a good life is saying yes to adventure. It all started with our first family road trip five summers ago. We had three kids under the age of four and no ideas about how you’re supposed to travel with kids. So we loaded up our minivan and set out for Colorado. […]

Aug

31st

good life – by heidi swapp

Part of cultivating a good life is taking on challenges and seeing them with eyes of gratitude. It was almost seven years ago when Eric and I packed up our family and relocated to Beijing, China. I remember like it was yesterday. Colton was nine, Cory was eight, Quincy was six, Capri had just turned one, and […]

Aug

24th

good life – by jenny schoenberger

Part of cultivating a good life is finding the inner strength you never knew you had. In 1995 I was a single mom and raising my two sons. They were 8 and 9 years old at the time. I became involved in Cub Scouts with my sons, and I happened to meet a wonderful […]

Aug

17th

good life – by karolyn corey

Part of cultivating a good life is ensuring each family member feels loved! When my hubby and I were dating and discussing marriage, we talked a lot about our future and what it would look like, especially blending two families. Together we would have five kids – ages 13, 11, 9, 8, and 8. […]

Aug

10th

good life – by selena sorensen

Cultivating a good life is not stressing about finding the perfect balance but realizing I am good enough. When contemplating about what I should write, my thoughts went directly to my current and constant struggle—balancing my life. I am a full-time mommy and wife with a growing photography business. Each week I go over […]

Aug

3rd

good life – by lauren lundevall

Part of cultivating a good life is stepping outside of myself and noticing the world around me. Being a teenage girl in this day and age, I face the challenge of going up against the world everyday. I wake up every morning and look in the mirror and see imperfections. But when I look […]

Jul

27th

good life – by kara layne

Cultivating a good life means remembering that life is short. It was 1994. My father had gone in for heart surgery and never came out of it. And there my mother stood with arms wrapped around my sisters and I. At the tender age of ten, I experienced the harsh reality of how short life […]

Jul

20th

good life – by natalie norton

Part of cultivating a good life is learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I recently overheard the following conversation: Husband: “It says here, ‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.’ Well, I must really be living because I’m uncomfortable pretty much all the time!” Wife (in a hilariously sweet little sing song […]

Jul

13th

good life – by cathy zielske

Part of cultivating a good life is knowing when to get help. I’m not talking about help with the laundry. I’m talking about developmental help. Hands down, the best decision I have ever made was to start working with a therapist about four years ago. While this may sound super new-age-y and self-congratulatory, it’s […]

Jul

6th

good life – by annette spaniel

Part of cultivating a good life is gathering at the table. Whether it’s a holiday dinner of 25, a family dinner of 3 or 4, a date night for 2, or an evening of take-out alone, I find great value in gathering at the table. Specifically, on a day-to-day basis, the importance of gathering at […]

Jun

29th

good life – by kevin allgaier

Part of cultivating a good life is recognizing your talents, then using them to help others. I was raised in a home of giving. Mom gave countless hours each day teaching us life’s lessons, and Dad spent his time tirelessly helping those throughout our community. Their efforts of devotion and dedication did not go unnoticed to those […]

Jun

22nd

good life – by petra corcoran

Part of cultivating a good life is learning to find strength even in the hardest of times. I feel fortunate that I have a good life. But it wasn’t always this way. I honestly want for little more than time and to spend as much of it as possible with those I love. When […]

Jun

15th

good life – by david higgins

Photo of David and Claire by Bradley Slade for Seeing the Everyday magazine. Part of cultivating a good life is being there for your loved ones. I grew up in a family where both of my grandfathers died when my mom and dad were just teenagers. Both men had cancer and both died relatively quickly (cancer treatment […]

Jun

8th

good life – by stacy julian

Part of cultivating a good life is by finding time to play. Addie: Mom, can I jump in that puddle? Mom: Absolutely! Finding a little play everyday is one of the intentions I set for myself in 2014. After several months of practicing play, I’m convinced (again) that it has everything to do with […]

Jun

1st

good life – by mandy bopp

Part of cultivating a good life is taking time to invest in others. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become much more aware of the influence others have had on my life as well as recognizing the impact I could potentially offer for someone else. For the past 15 or so years, I have been […]

May

25th

good life – by toni chase

Part of cultivating a good life is to realize that we are much stronger than we think. My husband Hugh and I married in 1992 when we were just 22 years old. Five months after we were married, we felt it was the perfect time to start our family. Young, I know. But that decision […]

May

19th

letting it go

Part of cultivating a good life is being okay when things don’t go as planned. We all know that life is made up of so many variables – mostly the unpredictable variety. We often don’t know what’s coming our way, but I definitely find that I can still be just fine even when the curveballs […]

May

18th

good life – by noell hyman

Part of cultivating a good life is doing something you love even if you’re too old and it won’t make you any money. I started serious dance training when I was 38, went on pointe when I was almost 40, and became a member of an adult dance company a year after that. You might […]

May

11th

good life – mother’s day

Part of cultivating a good life is honoring the role of a mother as sacred. My feelings are tender when I think about motherhood. Partly because of the love I have for my own mother. And also because I personally understand the pain that comes with the aching desire to become a mother during years […]

May

4th

good life – by kari holt

Part of cultivating a good life is continuing to learn and try new things. Several years ago I asked one of my closest friends – who also happened to make the world’s best cinnamon rolls – if she would teach me her secrets. I had always wanted to try and make them on my own […]

Apr

27th

good life – by brandi nielsen

Part of cultivating a good life is stepping away from technology once in a while. We have 3 young kids. So two years ago, when my husband decided to head up our church family campout, I thought he was crazy. In our 10 years of marriage at that point, we had never been camping. Now […]

Apr

20th

good life – by shelli gardner

Part of cultivating a good life is recognizing a Higher Power in your life. I enjoy Bikram yoga and practice at a studio located in a gorgeous garden setting. During the past couple of weeks, I’ve looked out the studio window and watched spring arrive—different flowers pop up almost daily. Spring makes me happy […]

Apr

13th

good life – by lisa bearnson

Part of cultivating a good life is to just say YES as much as possible! When my children were young, I heard a quote from a wise woman (Marjorie Hinckley) who said: “Whenever possible, say yes; they are only kids once!” I thought long and hard about these words and realized that there are enough […]

Apr

6th

good life – by wayne mitchell

Part of cultivating a good life is taking the time to create memories with those you love and to support each other in time of need, knowing you can always get through difficult times together. We are all busy. No matter who we are, where we live, or what we do, we are busy. We […]

Mar

30th

good life – by erin trimble

Part of cultivating a good life is never dismissing a thought to do something nice for another person. I’ve learned over the past few years that you can never go wrong by doing something kind for someone else. I think it’s everyone’s intention to serve and do nice things for others, but we let busyness […]

Mar

23rd

good life – by vicki allgaier

Part of cultivating a good life is taking time for yourself even with a crazy busy schedule. The year was early 1969. I was a new bride. I had just found out I was pregnant with our first child. I was sick…very sick. My husband was in medical school and the hours were grueling. That […]

Mar

16th

good life – sarica cernahous

Part of cultivating a good life is recognizing our self-empowerment to make better choices for ourselves and our loved ones. There are many things in this world that are seemingly beyond our control, and it can sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed and even helpless. However, we ALWAYS have control in some part of our lives, […]

Mar

9th

good life – by ali edwards

Part of cultivating a good life is knowing we can make it through hard things. Two years ago my life changed in a million big and little ways when I went through the process of an unwanted divorce. There is nothing easy about divorce, but in our case, through intention, hard work, mutual respect and […]

Mar

3rd

run for travis

When David and I were first married – both full-time students and working part-time and adjusting to a new phase of life – we found ourselves blessed enough to be fast friends with a couple other newlywed couples on campus. The Williams and the Kennedys were in our same boat and we had an […]

Mar

2nd

good life – by tracey clark

Part of cultivating a good life is learning how to reframe things. And by things, I mean anything and everything that might need a little change of perspective. Not everything needs a reframe. Some parts of our lives are fantastic—beautiful, joyful, inspiring—just as they are. But, certainly not every part. I have spent the past […]

Feb

23rd

good life – by jenny meyerson

Part of cultivating a good life is being grateful despite our circumstances. My daughter Emily was only 18 months old when I was first diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, she has no recollection of that time. After a few scares of recurrence over the last two years and finally clean scans, our family has slowly returned […]

Feb

16th

good life – by laurie pecotte

Part of cultivating a good life is living in the moment. I’m not talking about getting crazy and throwing all your responsibilities away or not caring about tomorrow. I am talking about really living in the day-to-day moments that mean something and bring us joy. Like many of you, my days are full of things […]

Feb

9th

good life – by melanie mauer

Part of cultivating a good life is practicing simplicity. Life felt a little too crowded (that can happen even with good things!) a few years ago. I started studying simplicity. Reading books like Simplicity Parenting (which is wonderful!!), and most anything with simple in the title, really. The word called to me. I wanted to focus […]

Feb

2nd

good life – by shelby mills

Part of cultivating a good life is seeing the true beauty in others. I have progressed over the years in my photography skills and have begun to develop my own personal style. What is it that I photograph? It is people, of course. I once heard a quote that said, “If you want to […]

Jan

26th

good life – by emily ley

Part of cultivating a good life is taking the time to just be silly. Over the past year, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is how important it is to take the time to laugh and just be silly. So often, we become so consumed with meeting the deadlines and finishing the projects and running the […]

Jan

19th

good life – by chari pack

Part of cultivating a good life is loving yourself for who YOU are. Over the past 5 years I’ve had the opportunity to meet countless creative, strong, impressive, and unique women. Entrepreneurs, Bloggers, Leaders, Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, and the list goes on. I have observed 2 things: We are all different. We all compare. What […]

Jan

12th

good life – by wayne allgaier

Part of cultivating a good life is being organized and having priorities. I’m a list guy. One summer evening 23 years ago, when I was at the height of involvement in my profession, community, and church, with a wife and 6 children, I decided I needed to write down a list of priorities in my […]

Jan

5th

good life – a new series

Part of cultivating a good life is instilling trust in those we love the most. I’ve been thinking a lot about trust. As important as it is to trust others, we also need to trust our instincts on who not to trust. As much as I wish we could trust everyone, that’s not reality. Like […]

Dec

31st

Hello 2014.

As you know from yesterday’s post, we are gearing up for a remarkable year. There is so much in store for 2014, most of which I haven’t even touched on yet. You’ll be hearing about many fun things the coming weeks and months. I am so grateful that each of you are a part of […]